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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. present — there
  9. kick — in football
  10. present — the time now
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com